Couscous with meat and vegetables

Ingredients

• 250g dried chickpeas or 625g canned chickpeas without liquid
• salt for chickpeas - a pinch
• 1-2 soup lamb or beef bones
• 1 onion large
• 0.25 tsp strands of saffron or ground turmeric
• 900 g beef shoulder without fat
• 2 stalks of leeks
• 4 small carrots
• 450 g traditional or quick-cooking couscous
• 3 stalks petiole celery
• 0.75 cup raisins
• 330 g pumpkin pulp
• 1 small turnip
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• small zucchini - 2
• salt, pepper - to taste

Cooking

Step 1

Soak dried chickpeas overnight in a large pot of water. Drain in a colander, transfer to a bowl. Pour 1 liter of water, bring to a boil. Cook covered for 1.5 hours, adding hot water as needed. Add a pinch of salt and continue to cook for another 30-45 minutes until the chickpeas are tender.

Step 2

While the chickpeas are cooking, put the beef (mutton) bones, chopped onion rings, and saffron into a large saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Close the lid and put on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Add 3 cm cubed beef and cook for 1.5 hours. Add leek, cut into 5 cm pieces, pumpkin cubes, 2.5 cm pieces of carrots, celery and turnips, boiled chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Then add the zucchini in 2.5 cm pieces and cook for another 10 minutes until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Step 4

Add cinnamon, season with salt and pepper if necessary. Put the raisins in a small saucepan, pour 1 cup of broth, cook until soft. Cover and keep warm.

Step 5

Prepare couscous. Before serving, pile the couscous on a large platter. Top with raisins and a few chickpeas. Arrange some of the meat and vegetables on a platter around the pile of couscous. Serve the remaining broth with meat and vegetables in a tureen. Arrange the couscous in small bowls, put the meat, vegetables on it and pour the broth.